Simple Budgeting Guidelines, Dealing With Credit: The Gigantic Roundup

It seems that I got really busy with last week’s reading list. Here’s what I was able to put together for the Labor Day weekend: one gargantuan roundup!

Stuff I Read About This Week

The Sun’s Financial Diary: Again, here’s a high-wire money-making act I’m incapable of trying out myself, even with the flawless step-by-step instructions.
Lazy Man And Money: Save money on entertainment and information — on everything from books to movies!
Money Smart Life: Here’s another way to trip yourself up online: “loaning” your online account to someone else. Sometimes, being so generous may not pay.
Gen X Finance: Let’s put these investor newsletters in their place, shall we? But I must admit I have been a subscriber to an investment newsletter for almost 20 years now with results I’m very satisfied with. Maybe I’ll talk about it one day (minus any recommendations).
Money, Matter and More Musings: Golbguru has come face to face with the worst credit card he’s ever seen!
Mighty Bargain Hunter: MBH talks about some deals that fell through the cracks for him. I’d pass over the smoky, aromatic collectible sports cards as well.
Five Cent Nickel: Here’s an interesting discussion on whether to use your retirement funds to buy a house, from the point of view of someone who actually did it.
Blueprint For Financial Prosperity: Jim has some pretty strong feelings about water. This has made me rethink our own drinking water usage habits.
All Financial Matters: An interesting set of graphs shows how luck can make a difference to your investment portfolio. If there’s going to be a market crash, we hope it happens when we’re younger, so we can make up for any losses with time.
Free Money Finance: Does Jim Cramer know what he’s doing?
The Simple Dollar: More on how credit card companies are shafting you. Are you making conscious decisions about your credit use?
The Consumerist: No, no, say it isn’t so!! Don’t be saying this about the Tivo.
Tight Fisted Miser: Try out this budgeting guideline: allocate at most 60% of your income to spending and the rest to savings. Simple and sweet!
Punny Money: I don’t know why, but I somehow see the humor in this post. I can’t help it, stuff like this amuses me. If you’re not too appalled just yet, try this article instead: why it’s good to have a variety of friends with different financial orientations.
Where Your Treasure Is: This blog has presented a long series on saving money on cell phones. Here’s a post from this enlightening series.
Frugal Duchess: Sharon charts her progress with her $2 a Day Savings Challenge. While she’s able to nix the junk food, I’m still working hard to trim the goods in my pantry. It sucks that I am a junk food and television addict (even though I don’t necessarily look it ;)) — I can imagine how much money I’d save if I just changed my ways.
My Open Wallet: The income gap in NY city is wider than ever. I also suspect this is the case in Santa Clara county or the SF Bay Area.